Great musicians who played an accordion?

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 02:04 PM

john cage?he was ace on rests

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: PHJim
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 12:45 PM

Tracy Schwartz, the fiddle player for the New Lost City Ramblers. Although he didn't play accordion with the NLCR, he does play cajun music on the diatonic one row button accordion.

I've noticed a large number of players who don't fit Len's requirements showing up in this thread. People like Myron Florin, Art Van Damme, Peewee King, Garth Hudson, Clifton Chenier, Marc Savoy and Len Wallace for that matter, don't belong here, since they are well known for being accordion players. Len was looking for people who were well known, but NOT as accordion players.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Mar 11 - 11:44 AM

Alan Reid, keyboard player for Battlefield Band until very recently, also sometimes plays accordion.

Eliza Carthy. better known for her singing and fiddle playing, but also plays melodeon.

David Lyle, musical director for Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society, great conductor, pianist and timpanist, also plays accordion.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,peggy bastek
Date: 24 Mar 11 - 10:15 PM

any one ever heard of vinny roberts. i have a beautiful accordion custom made for him, I bought at a auction back in the 1980's

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Doug Saum
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 01:11 PM

Best I've heard personally: Leonardo "Flaco" Jimenez and Buckwheat Zydeco. Has anyone mentioned Myron Floren?
Doug Saum

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 09:53 AM

Clifton Chenier? Who? Zydeco, that's who.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,GUEST, Mark Bluemel
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 03:54 AM

Richard Cryan said "Richard Thompson plays accordian; I think it appears on Henry the human fly."

And on Strict Tempo, and probably others.

T-Bone Wolk, the late bass-player, multi-instrumentalist and musical director for Daryl Hall was a child prodigy on the accordian, winning prizes.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: G-Force
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 09:52 AM

Garth Hudson.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 08:30 AM

Pete Shutler of the Yetties is pretty damn good.

One for the teenagers - there was this guy called Bob Cann who lived somewhere in the depths of Dartmoor who was pretty nifty.

Its a bugger being old - no one else knows what you're talking about.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,seth from olympia
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 02:29 AM

Bertram Levy,the greatest concertina playing urologist I ever knew

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 12:31 AM

Clifton Chenier
Marc Savoy

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 11:10 PM

Art Van Damme was a great jazz accordianist In the 50's the Art Van Damme quintet was voted best jazz combo by Downbeat magazine for at least a couple of years over much better remembered groups led by Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 01:57 PM

chris parkinson.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Alan Day
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 01:55 PM

I would like to nominate Iris Bishop Accordion and one of the finest Duet Concertina players in the World.
Al

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 06:08 AM

Bob McQuillen
http://pierce.state.nh.us/nharts/artsandartists/tradroster/tradartistinfo.asp?ArtistID=240
He is a great musician and has written about 1,500 fiddle tunes.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Lasse R
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 03:53 AM

I saw Nils Lofgren playing great accordion live with Springsteen in Stockholm. It was Midsummer eve and he played some swedish folk-song. Great memory!

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 03:49 AM

Tim Edey the wonderkind from Broadstairs started out on the accordian.
I remember seeing him first down at the seafront playing a box that reached to his knees, before he took up the melodeon. He now plays guitar with the same enthusiasm.
FloraG.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,RigTim
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 11:21 PM

Blair Douglas
Rory Macdonald from Runrig has played accordion before

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,seth from olympia
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 08:37 PM

Esteban Jordan, the conjunto king, one-eyed Texas wild man, played his Jimi Hendrix riffs through a phase shifter. I have one of his his LP's, used to play his stuff on my radio show, but he may have disappeared from the radar. Was Pee-wee King the third guy from the left with the accordion just behind Smiley Burnette in those old cowboy movies?

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 04:56 PM

I know it is not the question..but the accordian player with Irish ROvers..was still with them recently..name of WIlcel..is awesome..absolutely awesome. mg

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 03:58 PM

Me!




I'll get me hat ....

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Richard Cryan
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 10:38 AM

Richard Thompson plays accordian; I think it appears on Henry the human fly.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 09:47 AM

Rolf Harris of course...
and me Mum, Flo, but I can barely remember her playing it... ended up at "uncle's" (pawn shop) to pay for food when I was small!

RtS
(war baby)

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Gurney
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 04:00 AM

To quote from Bill Leeder's sleeve notes on 'Jump at the Sun,' ..."A very young John Kirkpatrick, already master of his enormous button accordian.."
Don't know if he plays piano accordian.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,M'Grath of Altcar
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 03:21 AM

Grace Jones wore an accordion in one of her videos. I dont think she actually played it but she looked better than any other accordionist I've ever seen!!

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Rich, (bodhranai on borrowed computer)
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 11:00 PM

Jerry Garcia, years before he ever picked up banjo and guitar, supposedly played accordian.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: CraigS
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 09:34 PM

I've played Phil Cunningham's stringed instruments, and they all function as expected (except the Strat). So what? I've seen Peter Bellamy play a guitar! And I've seen John Adams trying to keep a grip on his accordion when the strap broke during the Folk Prom at the Albert Hall (much more amusing!). For what it's worth, I can get a tune out of an accordion/melodeon/concertina, but I don't do it to unsuspecting people (like I don't take my banjo out of the house, unlike Leadfingers). But back to the thread - nobody mentioned Roy Castle, who was quite a good trumpeter, but played accordion (face it, he played anything).

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Leo Condie
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 02:44 PM

willie-o, good call - i remember reading that ry wouldn't let himself approach flaco jiminez until he could understand the instrument. jeez i admire that guy's dedication.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Strupag
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 01:30 PM

I've seen Phil Cunningham play stringed instruments and flute but that's not the theme of the thread.
I have, however, seen John MacCusker play a box sometimes when he was with Battlefield

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 12:48 AM

Keir Hardie played the accordion, it seems; he probably wasn't a great musician but was, arguably, a great man; though rather forgotten today. He once provided a testimonial for Campbell and Co. (of Trongate, Glasgow)'s Patent Broad Reed Melodeon. "It is got up in excellent style," he wrote, "the finish being superior. The tone is sweet, yet strong and can be changed from organ to celestial at will."

The instrument also apparently came with "charming bell accompaniments"; I'm not sure what they might have been. "Music in the House Makes Cheerful Happy Homes" said the ad., anyway, and I can't say I'd disagree.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 11:57 PM

I'm assuming everyone here knows that Len Wallace, the one who started this thread, is both an accordion player and a great musician.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,GerMan
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 10:45 AM

Any accordian players who turned out to be great musicians?

(joke)

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Martin Hughes
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 10:04 AM

Benny Andersson from Abba

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Skipjack K8
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 08:27 AM

Idi played da accordion, sure Craig, but he did rate himself as a great musician. And King of Scotland.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Willie-O
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 08:16 AM

Ry Cooder. When he got interested in all that whaddatheycallit --conjeno music?--Tex-Mex, whatever-- he said he spent six months of his life, full time, doing nothing but trying to learn to play their accordion style, just mastering the groove.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: gnu
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 05:08 AM

CarolC.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,will bakker
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 09:21 AM

Van Dyke Parks (on Natalie Merchants Motherland)

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 03:04 AM

Valery Giscard d'Estang
Jimmy Stewart
Charlie Chaplin
Thomas Hardy
Baseball pitcher John Smoltz
Ross Perot
Robert Service (Concertina)

All mentioned in a website called "Celebrity Squeezers."

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: CraigS
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 08:49 PM

Wasn't a great musician, but played an accordion - Idi Amin, may his soul burn in hell, was inspired by the music of Jimmy Shand, a great musician who played the accordion. Unfortunately Mr Amin had other talents.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 08:39 PM

Cheryl Crow - dunno how great, but certainly a lot of fun.

Plays accordian live in concert and on several TV concerts.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 02:24 PM

Let us not forget "Pee Wee" King, the author of "Tennessee Waltz". He brought the acordian to country music during the peak of the singing cowboy years (Autrey, Rogers, etc.).

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 12:06 PM

Since I don't know any of your friends, I promise I won't tell them. Rest assured that even if I did, you can sleep better knowing that I wouldn't hint at, impugn, imply, or otherwise disseminate this highly sensitive bit of information to anyone in any way, shape, or form.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: John P
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 11:34 AM

I heard that Eddie Vedder plays accordion. I know he plays ukulele.

I play the accordion. Please don't tell my friends.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 03:34 AM

Pianists Duke Ellington and George Shearing both recorded playing accordion

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 11:59 PM

Paul Simon. Yes, THE Paul Simon plays accordion.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 08:53 PM

The much-admired Northumbrian fiddler Willy Taylor used to play melodeon, but changed to fiddle (which he'd learned as a boy) after an injury to his left hand.

At the risk of repeating a very old -and perhaps rather unfair- joke, it is also said that God can play the accordion, but, being a benevolent deity, refrains from doing so.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: John Nolan
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 08:51 PM

Taking it from the past to the present tense, Geoff Berner (geoffberner.com) out of Vancouver is remarkable songwriter/singer accordianist, as Billy Bragg has recognized by having him open on a couple of recent tours. Check out his album "We shall not flag or fail, We shall go on to the end." Reviewed at the geoff berner page of www.stephaniepiro.com   The song "Clown & Bard" on this album with bitter sweet accordian (yes,it can be done) is an outstanding modern folksong.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 08:26 PM

Steve-o, Flaco Jiminez is one of the most exciting players I've ever heard live (I think Conwy Festival c. 1986/87) but surely the accordion is his first instrument???

In the folk world, I can't think of any that meet your criteria but I'd imagine there are a great number of people who can at least play one or more forms of the accordion to some degree - let's face facts, most of us have probably dabbled with another instrument at some time...

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 06:42 PM

John Lennon played a banjo, which is a surprise. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 02:29 PM

J. S. Bach

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 02:17 PM

Yes! Carlos Cortez! A very cool guy. My youngest daughter had a garden appartment right next to his house to the south. I used to catch Carlos and his wife sitting out front when we'd visit. I always enjoyed them both. Please give them my regards.

I got to hear and meet the great Nathan Abshire one year when he and the Balfa Brothers came to the Chicago area to play at a private Fais Do-Do in the early 1970s. They played accoustic Cajun music all afternoon outside and their wives made us a big gumbo dinner. That evening they moved us into the host's barn for a Cajun dance and Bill Kieth showed up and sat in on banjo. Needless to say it remains a highlight of my musical memories. PBS once aired a special on Nathan Abshire, I suppose a copy could be purchased if one knew where. I confess I had become somewhat dismissive of the accordion but Nathan showed me what wonderful music could come from one in the right hands. He completely changed my attitude about the instrument.

Al Dexter is of course most famous as the composer of Pistol Packin' Momma and was the first country performer to appear on Broadway. I don't actually know whether Al played the accordion but the instrument is featured so prominantly on his recording I always supposed it was Al playing.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Len Wallace
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:57 PM

Hi Mark,

Carlos Cortez is his name. A friend of mine. Lives in Chicago and sometimes visits the Windsor, Detroit area.

George Gobel may have played accordion? Great!
Pee Wee King? Yes. Too bad Pee wee Herman wasn't an accordion player. could have used him for my list.

Len

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:49 PM

Len, I'm affraid most of us are merely going to provide a list of people who are well known for playing accordion rather than address your challenge to list famous people whose accordion efforts are not generally known.

I am no exception though it's interesting to learn that the people on your list played accordion. The famous poster of Joe Hill by Carlos ??? (I've actually met the artist but can't now remember his last name) depicts Hill playing a concertina so that one isn't a surprise.

Well known accordionists that come to mind include CarolC, Nathan Abshire, Pee Wee King and Al Dexter. I remember that George Gobel played guitar but didn't he also play accordion?

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Nerd
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:46 PM

Bruce Hornsby

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Len Wallace
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:45 PM

No, no, no! I know those guys. They were accordion players all their lives. Played with Flaco and Santiago myself.

I'm looking for musicians who are not usually associated with the accordion.

Len

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:30 PM

Weird Al Yancovik

There's also the King of Polka who is also a Yancovik (no relation)

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Steve-o
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:25 PM

Flaco Jiminez.....currently one of the best.

Subject: RE: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:24 PM

Ah one and ah two and....    Lawrence Welk, of course!

Subject: Great musicians who played an accordion?
From: GUEST,Len Wallace
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 12:22 PM

Hello Mudcatites,

Okay, here's one to wrack your brains over.

Can you name well known musicians who played or play accordion? Musicians one would usually not think of as a squeezebox player?

Here's a partial list:
1) Joe Hill
2) Leadbelly
3) Woody Guthrie
4) Billy Joel
5) John Lennon (it was his first instrument)

I know Rod Stewart's first instrument was a banjo.

Any others?


Len Wallace